Burglaries drop in winter months

July was an average month with 17 burglaries, 10 of which were forcible entries. August spiked with a total of 31. There were 29 break-ins in September.

October had the highest total of the year with 38, and 23 of those were forcible entries, which meant the thief had to break a window or door to get in, as opposed to the less-violent lifting of a wallet or purse.

Colder weather in November brought a decline in the number of burglaries with 17 and December closed out the year with 18 - 14 of those being forcible entries.

In August there was a large jewelry heist from a Griffing Avenue apartment that included nine items, including a watch and two 18-karat pieces.

Several days later, tools and contracting equipment were taken from a business on Beaver Brook Road. There was also a rash of break-ins at downtown businesses, including the theft of cash from Trellis Restaurant on North Street and Cap N' Cork package store on Padanaram Road.

In September, there was another large theft of tools and equipment that included Harley-Davidson vehicle parts from Mill Plain Self-Storage on Mill Plain Road.

An Apple Blossom Lane resident reported on Sept. 19 that a burglar made off with two TV/VCRs, two stereo/radios, three cameras, and computer equipment.

There were 23 forcible-entry burglaries - almost double the number of an average month. These thefts include many of the familiar items - jewelry, stereos and cameras - and most were in the downtown area.

In November, thieves were again big on tools and equipment. On Nov. 10, a Park Avenue resident reported the theft of five tools or pieces of equipment. On Nov. 23, it was discovered that a lawn mower was stolen from the city-owned Tarrywile Mansion on Southern Boulevard.

In December, a shotgun was taken from a Cross Street apartment and another was taken from a Kenosia Avenue home.